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Rules of Conditional Sentences with Examples

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“Conditional Sentences” is a crucial topic in the English Language section of government exams including the SSC, Banking, Defence, etc. If you are not familiar with grammatical rules, you will not receive any marks for this section. In order to help you answer questions about conditional sentences, we will explain the basic grammar concepts of conditional sentences in this article.

Conditional Sentences

In English, we refer to a number of structures as “conditionals” or “if conditionals”. The word “condition” means “situation or circumstance”. Conditional sentences explain factors that are known or hypothetical circumstances and their effects. There are three basic English conditionals plus a zero conditional.

The structure of most conditionals is very simple. We can add many words and can use various tenses, but the basic structure is usually like this:

If + Condition + Result: If I meet her, I will greet her.

Result + If + Condition: I will greet her if I meet her.

Conditional sentences can be of four different primary types:

1. Zero conditional
2. First conditional
3. Second conditional
4. Third conditional

Note: In the case of second and third conditional we can construct “if clause” by inverting the auxiliary verb of “if clause”:

Second conditional: 

If I were a bird, I would fly away. [General structure]
Were I a bird, I would fly away. [Inverted structure]

Third conditional:

If I had known, I would have helped. [General structure]
Had I known, I would have helped. [Inverted structure]

ZERO CONDITIONAL: We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact.

Example:
If you put ice in your drink, it melts.
If you don’t brush your teeth daily, you get cavities.

Explanation:
In the first sentence, it is a natural condition that the ice melts in drink and in the second sentence it is scientifically proved that cavities is the result of poor teeth care. Thus both of them are Zero Conditional sentences.

NOTE: While using the zero conditional, the correct tense to use in both clauses is the simple present tense. The usage of the simple future tense is a typical error.

FIRST CONDITIONAL: These sentences are used to express situations in which the outcome is likely (but not guaranteed) to happen in the future.

Example:
If it rains today, he will stay at home.
If Rahul comes late again, I will be mad.

Explanation:
In both sentences, we have a real-time condition that if something happens then will come to the dependent outcome. Thus both of them are First Conditional sentences.

NOTE: We use the simple present tense in the “if clause” and the simple future tense in the main clause.

SECOND CONDITIONAL: These sentences are useful for expressing outcomes that are completely unrealistic or will not likely happen in the future (there is not a real possibility that this condition will happen).

Example:
If I had billion dollars, I would buy a limousine.
If I were you, I would not go there.

Explanation:
In the first sentence having a billion dollars is apparently an unrealistic situation and in the second sentence, a person cannot be another person. Thus in both cases, the outcomes are not real.  Thus both of them are Second Conditional sentences.

NOTE: We use the simple past tense in the if-clause and an auxiliary modal verb (could, should, would, might) in the main clause (the one that has the unrealistic or unlikely outcome). We also use the past subjunctive (in the if-clause) while giving advice to someone, especially about what the person should do.

THIRD CONDITIONAL: In the third conditional, we talk about the past. We discuss a scenario from the past that never occurred. It is used to express a condition that was likely enough but did not actually happen in the past.

Example:
If you had told me about the situation, I would have been prepared to handle it.

Explanation:
In the given sentence it is a situation where something had to be told but was not told in real. Thus this sentence is an example of Third Conditional sentence.

NOTE: We use the past perfect (i.e., had + past participle) in the if-clause. The modal auxiliary (would, could, should, etc.) + have + past participle in the main clause expresses the imaginary situation that could have happened.

Thus, the “conditional sentences” is not at all a very hard nut to crack. The only thing to do for remembering the rules is to practise them on a regular basis.
 


Last Updated : 28 Sep, 2022
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